End roll listing all crew and cast — timing, font size, music are design choices. Must meet DCP and broadcast specs exactly.
You're in the edit suite and the film is basically finished — then comes the annoying reality: the credits have to be done. Sounds trivial, but it's one of the most underestimated design tasks in the post-production workflow. It's not about rolling names in white Arial over a black background. The credits define how your film ends, what music is still playing, whether the audience stays in their seats or leaves.
Practically, it works like this: You need a complete list of names from production and direction — and in most cases, this must be reconciled with contracts. Especially with co-productions and streaming projects, the rules are strict. Who gets which position in what size? First AD, Line Producer, Gaffer — every department has expectations. In parallel, the musical decision is made: Do you use a separate end credit track, or does the film score continue? Some directors want absolute silence after the last cut, others need a completely new song. This massively influences your mixing and DCP preparation. Timing is critical — in cinemas, you calculate 60–90 seconds for pure name rolling, for TV and streaming often only 30–45 seconds. This means: reduce font size, increase scroll speed, or you need two columns.
In the technical workflow, credit design usually happens parallel to the color grading phase. You create a standard template — black or with subtle graphics in the background — and then exchange the names with production revision by revision. DCP specifications dictate that the credits must be delivered as a separate asset with exact timecode information. TV broadcasters often have their own requirements: ARD and ZDF want specific positions for FSK (German age rating) and informational texts, Netflix wants the darkest black levels for mobile compatibility. The layout that looks like a professional standard on the monitor can become illegible on a set-top box or in a smaller streaming window.
A practical lesson: Don't build in the credits only at the end. Even with a rough cut, a placeholder credit can reveal length and pacing. Some films need longer because the music simply ends so powerfully — then the credits remain visible and become an artistic decision, not an administrative duty. And remember: the credits are not just for the audience and the financiers. They create space for atmosphere — be it applause in the cinema or that last emotional moment before silence.